Internal-combustion engine



April 3, Tg2-v8.'

F. R; WEST INTERNAL v COMBUSTION ENGINE Filedept. 18, 1924 .2Sheets-.Sheet 1 arrow/w13 V April s, 192s.

' F. R. wEsT INTERNAL COMBUSTI 0N ENGINE 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Sept.18. '1924 Patented 3, 1928.

" UNITED `STATI-:s PATENT OFFICE.'

FRANK R. WEST, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

1N TERN AL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed 'September 18, 1924. Serial No. 738,465.

The present invention relates to improvements in internal combustionengines, and

-bustion chamber therefor, whereby higher compression pressures thanthose commonl used may be employed successfully, thus 1ncreasin thepower and efficiency of the engine, te shock of the explosions will becushioned or absorbed to a desirable degree, thus producing smootheroperation of the engine, and reducing vibration and strains, andcarbonizing of the engine is avoided or reduced to a minimum.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedconstruction and arrangement of the cylinder head with respect to thecylinder block or casting, where- .by the manufacture of the engine issimplified and rendered less expensive.l

To these and other ends the invention conslsts in certain improvementsand combinations and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter morefully described, the features of novelty being pointed out particularlyin the ,claims at the end of the specification.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a section taken axiallythrough a portion of an internal combustion engine constructed inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 illustrates the structure shown in Figure 1 as viewed from theright in said ligure, the cylinder head being Yshown in Section on theline 2-2 of Figure 1;

Flgure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing another embodiment of theinvention;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing a modified form ofcylinder head embodying the invention; and

Figure 5 represents a section on the line 5--5 of Figure 4.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in theseveral views.

The present invention is applicable generally to internal combustionengines of the various types, such, for example, as those used inautomobiles. The preferred embodiments of the invention are illustratedto the accompanying drawings and will be.

hereinafter described in detail, but it is to be understood that theinvention is not restricted to the precise constructions shown asequivalent constructions are contemplated, and such will be includedwithin the scope of the claims.

In the present instance, 1 represents the cylinder block or castingwhich may be proy vided, as usual, with a water jacket 2, 3 designatesthe piston which reciprocates therein, and 4 designates the intake andexhaust valves which control, in the well known way, the admission offuel mixture to the combustion chamber and the exhausting of theproducts of combustion therefrom. The cylinder block, piston and valvesmay be of the usual or conventional construction, although, in thepresent instance, the valves are shown inclined toward the cylinder boreat their upper ends. The combustion chamber 5 is formed in the cylinderblock or casting, it comprising a cavity which is formed in the cylinderblock below the top 6 of the cylinder block. The head 7 which is of thedetachable type and may be secured to the top of the cylinder block bythe usual bolts or screws 8 is formed with a cavity 9 which is adaptedto contain water from the cooling or circulating system of the engine,it communicating, for example, ywith the jacket 2 of the cylinder blockthrough passages 10 and 11 in the block and head, respectively, whichregister when the head is applied.

The present invention provides a wall for the combustion chamber whichis comparatively thin and is directly cooled by the water of thecirculating system whereby such wall will be maintained at a relativelylower temperature than that of the relatively thick cast iron wallswhich have heretofore formed the walls of the combustion chamber. Themeans for accomplishing these results sists preferably of a thin plateor diaphra m l2 composed preferably of metal in at form, this plate ordiaphragm being interposed and clamped in place between the head and thetop of the cylinder block so that it forms a septum or Wall between thecombustion chamber 5 and the water chamber 9. Suitable gaskets 13 may beapplied at opposite sides of the plate to insure a pressure-tight andwater-tight joint around the margin of the plate or diaphragm, and thelatter, as well as the gaskets, being slotted or apertured to avoidobstruct-ing the water passages 10 and 11.v

The plate or diaphragm 12, which, as

shown, is relatively thin-,forms one wall of.'

the combustion chamber, and it is maintained at a relatively lowtemperature b the cooling water which is in contact wit its oppositeside. In consequence, the'combustion chamber of the engine may beproportioned to produce a higher compression pressure than thatheretofore commonly used without causing detonation or pre-ignitionknocks. Moreover, the formation of carbon on the combustion chamber sideof the plate or diaphragm is avoided or minimized owing to itsrelatively low temperature as maintained by the cooling water,researches having established that carbon resultin from the combustionof the fuel in interna combustion engines will not form or accumulatereadily on a cool metallic surface.

The plate or diaphragm 12 is preferably sufficiently thin to enable itto flex or yield slightly under the iniiuence of the explosion pressuredeveloped in the combustion chamer, this yielding or {iexing of theplate or diaphragm resultingv in cushioning or ab- -sorbing to adesirable degree the shocks produced by the successive explosions takingplace within the combustion chamber. The inertia of the body of coolingwater at the upper .side of the plate or diaphragm will assist incushioning vor absorbing the shocks of the explosions, and such body ofwater will also support the plate or diaphragm and assist it insustaining the forces produced by the explosions takin place within thecombustion chamber.. oreover, by using a plate or disk as a combustionchamber wall which is capable of yielding or flexing under the influenceof the explosions taking place Within the combustion chamber, the plateor diaphragm will be set into vibration in consequence of the successiveexplosionstaking place, and this vibrationof the plate ory diaphragmwill tend to shake olf any surplus oil or carbon which may be thrownthereon, it thus avoiding the accumulation of oil or carbon.

If desired, a spring of suitable form may be provided to assist thelplate or diaphragm in sustaining the force produced by the explosionswithin the combustion chamber, a coil spring 14 being shown for thispurpose in Figure 3, the spring being interposed between the head andthe side of the plate or diaphragm opposite to the side thereof at whichtheV combustion chamber is located. In using such a spring, the springas well as the plate or diaphragm will yield or liex under the influenceof the explosions, -but the spring will strengthen the plate or diafvphragm and will assist the latter in returning to its normal or flatform after each explosion. In some cases,vit may be desirable to employmeans for limiting the degree of flexure of the plate `or diaphragm inconsea5 quence of the explosion. ,Such a construction is shown inFigures Lland 5 wherein the cylinder head is formed with ribs 15 whichare contained within the water cavity at the upper side of the plate ordiaphragm, the

ribs extending to points nearlyin contact with the\plat e or diaphragmwhen vthe latter is in its normal or unflexed form, the ribs, however,bemg sufficiently close to the upper vide abutments against which theplate or ldiaphragm may bea-r when the latter is iexed under theinfluence of explosions within the combustion chamber. The ribs willthus serve to prevent undueflexing of the plate or diaphragm and willprevent it from side of the plate or diaphragm to probeing ruptured orblowout by explosion pressures produced within the combustion chamber. vy

Preferably, the dividing line between the cylinder block and head isarranged at an obtuse angle with respect to the axis of the cylinderbore and piston, substantially as is shown. The plate or diaphragm 12,in consequence, will slope upwardly or in a direction away from the headof the piston at the side of the cylinder block Where the valves arelocated. This enables a combustion chamber of eflicient form to beprovided above the piston and valves without the necessity of formingseparate pockets ,for the valves, which pockets are objectionable. Byarranging the valves so that the converge at their'upper ends toward thecy inder bore, the'valves may, as shown, operate directly within thelargest part of the combustion chamber. By forming a cavity in the endof the cylinder block and providing a plate or diaphragm as hereinbefore4described to form the top wall of the combustion chamber, themanufacturing cost of the engine is reduced in consequence ofy thesimplification of the mechanical operations required, and furthermore,the combustion chamber may be readily machined lto a predeterminedvolumetric capacity.

I claim as my invention 1.' An internal combustion engine-having acombustion chamber a wall of which is l, constituted by a relativelythin substantially flat flexible plate of uniform thickness throughoutits area and 'which divides the combustion chamber from the Water spaceof the engine.

2. An internal combustion engine having a combustion chamber a wall ofwhich is constituted by a thin flexible sheet of metal of uniformthickness throughout its area and having an area-at one side. exposed tothe cooling water of the engine,.which area is substantially equal tothe area at the opposite side of the sheet which is exposed to thecombustion chamber.

3. An internal combustion engine having a combustion chamber asubstantially liat wall of which is of uniform .thickness throughout itsarea and which is flexible out of its normal plane under the influence'of the explosions taking place in said chamber.

4. In an internal combustion engine comprising a cylinder block having acombustion chamber therein and a separately tion chamber therein and ahead thereforv having a Water chamber therein, a substantially flatvibratory plate of uniformA thickness throughout its area interposedbetween the cylinder block and head anddividing the combustion chamberof the former from the Water chamber of the latter.

6. In an internal combustion engine com- 'prising acylinder block havinga combustion chamber therein and head-therefor having a cooling waterchamber therein, plane joming surfaces being formed on said block andhead, a fiat flexible plate having a marginal portion co-extensive withthe full areas of said joining surfaces andclamped between them, saidplate formin atone side a wall of the combustion cham er and at its opo- 35 site side a wall of the combustion cham r` and at its oppositeside a wall of substantially equal area for said water chamber.

. 7. An internal combustion engine embodying acylinder having a joiningsurface at its combustion chamber end which lies in a plane at an obtuseangle to the cylinder axis, and intake and exhaust valves locatedadjacent to the combustion chamber end of the cylinder and Within theobtuse angle formed between the plane of said joining surface andthecylinder axis, a flat relatively thin flexible vplate forming thecombustion chamber wall applied 'to said joining surface, the oppositesurfaces of said plate presenting equal areas' thereof to the combustionchamber and a cooling water space respectively.

8. In an internal combustion engine. of the class having intake andexhaust valves arranged at a side of the cylinder, a cylinder providedwith a flexible cylinder head which presents a thin wall sectlon to thecombustion chamber and is Water jacketed on the upper side of said thinwall section toan extent approximately equal to the area of the underside of said Wallsection which is exposed to the heat of the combustionchamber, the top of the cylinder forming a joint with the head, whichjoint is inclined with respect to the axis of the cylinder bore from apoint opposite the valves toward the end y of the cylinder.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

. FRANK R. WEST.

